I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ovens and, more particularly, to a temperature and humidity controllable doorless oven.
II. Discussion of the Related Art
Various types of ovens are known and used in the food service industry today. These conventional ovens typically heat and/or warm food products in a sealed oven enclosure. Moreover, such ovens may be used to hold the food products in a warm condition for an extended period of time prior to subsequent use or consumption. However, storage of the food products in a warm environment in a conventional oven over an extended period of time, such as several hours, generally causes the food products to dry out and lose their freshness. This may ultimately result in the food products having to be discarded.
In order to eliminate this disadvantage, some sealed storage ovens provide both temperature and humidity control. This allows the food products to be kept both moist, as well as warm within the sealed storage oven. By keeping the food products both warm and moist, the food products can be maintained fresher over extended periods of time. However, use of such temperature and humidity controlled ovens also have several disadvantages in the food service industry.
For instance, in the fast food service industry, food products generally have to prepared quickly and repetitively. This results in having to open and close the oven door each time an item of food needs to be prepared or served. Such action allows the heat and moisture to escape from the oven, as well as slowing down the food preparation process. Moreover, because the oven also provides humidity or moisture to the interior environment of the oven, condensation can build up on the inside walls of the oven and door. Thus, upon opening the oven door, condensation on the inside of the door may drip off the door and into the food product or onto a food preparation counter, thereby resulting in potential contamination of the food products and possible health code violations. In addition, the condensation may fall on the floor, thereby possibly causing a hazardous work condition.
What is needed then, is an oven which does not suffer from the abovementioned disadvantages. This will, in turn, eliminate the drying out and waste of the food products, as well as eliminate the need to continuously open and close the oven door to gain access to the food products, thereby eliminating condensation from possibly falling into the food products or onto the floor. Moreover, such an oven would also decrease the food preparation time, while increasing food preparation efficiency. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide such a temperature and humidity controllable doorless oven.